Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
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Transcription
Cliff Swallow
6.
Mayhew
1950
April 22 Poleline Bridge, 3 mi. N.E. of Davis, Yolo Co., Calif.
English Sparrows have taken over nests 3-52 +
3-59, in addition to 3-30 noted before. A d was
seen in 3-59, a ? in 3-52, & a ? again in 3-30.
April 23 Bridge, 4 mi. west of Davis, Yolo Co., Calif.
As there was water under the bridge today,
I was unable to see how many new nests
have been made this year. However, I was
able to see that a Barn Swallow nest of
last year has been taken over by a pair of
Cliff Swallows this year. It was the Barn
Swallow nest in the N.W. corner of section 1.
The open nest of last year has been covered
over the top with a wide mouth opening into
it.
April 27 Poleline Bridge, 3 mi. N.E. of Davis, Yolo Co., Calif.
At 10:35 A.M. one bird fed another through the
opening of the nest at nest 2-35. At 10
more out of 32 nests that I can see, the
head of a bird is sticking out. Now there are
14 heads sticking out. Whenever a car goes
by or over the bridge, all the birds in the
air at the time fly out from under the
bridge & circle in the air around. As soon
as the car is gone, however, they return
under the bridge. I am sitting approx. 20 ft.
from the nearest nests, but my presence
doesn't seem to bother them at all.
Four times in the last 15 minutes a bird in
3-34 has left the nest to chase another
bird away from in front of the nest opening: